BIOCHEMICAL BASIS OF SEROLOGICAL CROSS-REACTIONS BETWEEN BRUCELLA-ABORTUS AND YERSINIA-ENTEROCOLITICA SEROTYPE O/9

  • 1 January 1975
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. B126  (4) , 435-445
Abstract
A method based on agglutination inhibition is described that may be used for the differential serological diagnosis between B. abortus and Y. enterocolitica serotype 0:9. An antigen with high immunological capacity was isolated from Brucella. This antigen inhibited homologous and heterologous agglutination by Brucella [rabbit] antiserum, but only the heterologous agglutination by Yersinia [rabbit] antiserum. It contained a polysaccharide (N-acetylglucosamine, glucose, mannose and 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonic acid), a protein and a phosphoglyceride moiety. Lipid A was absent from the Brucella antigen. Incomplete polysaccharide synthesis of the Brucella antigen, with concomitant loss of serological specificity by the rough mutant was described. Oligosaccharides containing N-acetylgalactosamine, glucose and galactose were isolated from the specific side chain of Yersinia lipopolysaccharide. Lipid A constituents were also identified in the latter.